c# retrieve file/folder path from selected file/folder in Context Menu Windows Explorer

Question

I'm trying to implement an option in the context menu of Windows Explorer for any file and any folder. I have accomplish this by writing into regedit.

Using Microsoft.Win32;
...
RegistryKey key;
// Register to any file
key = Registry.LocalMachine.CreateSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\CLASSES\*\shell\MyProject");
key = Registry.LocalMachine.CreateSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\CLASSES\*\shell\MyProject\command");
// Register to folder
key = Registry.LocalMachine.CreateSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\CLASSES\Folder\shell\MyProject");
key = Registry.LocalMachine.CreateSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\CLASSES\Folder\shell\MyProject\command");
// Default value points to the app
key.SetValue("", Application.StartupPath + @"\MyProject.exe");
key.Close();

The application opens as I want, however I have no clue how to grab the path of file/folder that was selected in the context menu. How can I do this?

I guess it's provided as your first command line argument to your main method. But I'm not sure if you have to place some markup like "%1" or something in the registry "command" value. — René Vogt
– René Vogt, Commented Dec 20, 2015 at 13:15

René Vogt · Accepted Answer · 2015-12-20 13:21:11Z

1

Change the value of the registry key to

key.SetValue("", Application.StartupPath + @"\MyProject.exe %1");

So %1 is replaced with the selected file/folder. In your main method you can access this via:

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Selected file/folder: {0}", args[0]);
}

Unfortunatly this will not work for multi-selection. Placing %2 etc is of no use. If multiple files or folders are selected your application gets called for each of them seperatly.

answered Dec 20, 2015 at 13:21

René Vogt

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Michael Trapp · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-24 12:05:26Z

1

The answer of René Vogt is great only this line:

key.SetValue("", Application.StartupPath + @"\MyProject.exe %1");

should be:

key.SetValue("", Application.StartupPath + @"\MyProject.exe \"%1\"");

Without the quotation marks the args[] array contains multiple strings when the directory or file path contains whitespaces.

answered Sep 24, 2018 at 12:05

Michael Trapp

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1 Comment

Kashif Saleem Over a year ago

I'm using WPF C# app. I see in registery it creates the key and value. But, how do i get the current path of folder or file in WPF C# app?

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